Retort-operating apparatus



Dec. 31, 1929. J. BRADLEY RETORT OPERATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 22, 1924 '5 sheets-sheet l INVENTOR I .fw z'd/z rad/eg Dec. 31, 1929. J. BRADLEY V 1,742,023

RETORT OPERATING' APPARATUS Filed Aug. 22. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 3l, 1929. J. BRADLEY nEToRT OPERATING APPARATUS Filed Agg. 22, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 The casin g contains devices for opening and closing a switch in the circuit to the motor for operating the slicer bar. The operation ot' the switch is preferably dependent upon the temperature in the retort. Devices are also employed for controlling the opening and closing of the circuit to the motor for operating the discharge drum. The devices in the casing include an electro-magnet 34 secured in position within the casing on a bracket 35 and having` its armature 36 pivotally connect-- ed to a lever 37. The lever 37 is pivotally connected in the easing as indicated at 38. One end of the lever 37 is connected to the armature 36 as hereinbefore stated and at its opposite end the lever 37 is provided with a roller 39. The normal position of the lever 37 and the magnet armature 36 is determined by a stop 40 and av spring 41, the lower edge of the lever being adapted to contact with the stop and the spring extending between the lever and a hook provided therefor on the frame holding the winding of the magnet. This normal position of the armature and lever is that shown in iull lines in Fig. l in which the armature is separated from the core of the magnet. The casing 31 in suitable positions is provided with binding post terminals 42, 43 which by lead wires 44 and 45 respectively are connected to the terminals of the magnet.

The casing 31 also contains a suitable switch which is preferably a liquid contact switch. This switch includes a receptacle or reservoir 46 having a suitable base resting upon and secured to a bracket 47 by which the switch is maintained in position in the casing. The receptacle 46 contains a quantity of liquid mercury 48 above which there may be a covering of oil or other suitable material. One of the terminals of the switch is indicated at 49. This extends sutliciently far into the receptacle to enter the mercury bath and is also connected to a terminal or binding post 50 insulated from the casing by a washer 51 of rubber or asbestos or other similar material. The binding post 50 is connected by a lead wire 52 to a binding post terminal 53 suitably secured in the casing 31. The other terminal of the switch comprises a switch arm 54 adapted to be raised and-lowered out of and into the-mercury bath contact. As will be understood one end of the switch arm is lowered into and raised out of the mercury bath to close` an electric circuit and for this purpose this end of the switch arm may be provided with a contact member 55. The'opposite end of the switch arm 54 is pivotally connected to one end of a lever 56 as indicated at 57. This lever 56 is pivotally mounted at its opposite end in the casingr as indicated at 58. The lever 56 at one side thereof preferably the lower side when the parts are in their operative positions is provided with a notch indicated at 59, the purpose and function of which will be hereinafter described.

hen the electro-magnet 34 is energized as hereinafter described the lever 37 is actuated to bring the roller .39 to bear against the underedge orn the lever 56 in order to return and normally maintain the same and the switch arm 54 in their initial positions until the circuit through the electro-magnet is broken7 permitting the same to become dccnergized.

Associated with the lever 56 there is a. bell crank lever 60. This bell crank lever 60 is pivotally mounted on a suitable support in the casing as indicated at 61. One arm of the bell crank lever as indicated at 62 is providedv at its extremity with a trip or linger 63 which is pivotally connected to the arm 62 as indicated at 64 and is normally maintained in an initial position against a stop 65 by means of a spring 66 or otherwise. The other arm 67 of this bell crank lever GO is provided with a slot 68. Extending into or through the slot 68 is the extremity of an arm This arm is integral with or carried by a lever 7 O which at one end is pivotally mounted at 71 between suitable lugs 7 2 secured in a centrally disposed position to the outer iace of a diaphragm 7 The lever 70 is pivotally mounted as indicated at 74 between lugs 75 suitably secured to the base of the easing. The end of the lever adjacent the arm 69 extends appreciably beyond the pivotal point 74 as indicated at 76 and the lever and the parts associated therewith are normally maintained in position by means of a spring 77 pressing against the end 76 of the lever. The diaphragm 73 may be made of any suitable metal or other material having a relatively high coetlicient of expansion and lies within a recess in the base 78 of the casing, while the lugs 72 extend through an opening 7 9 in this base so that the lever 70 and associated parts lie within the casing exteriorly of the base.

It will be understood that the lever 56 is grounded in the base 78 and that in a suitable position the base 78 is provided with a terminal 80 connected by a lead wire 81 with an exterior binding post terminal 82 forming the other terminal of the switch maintained within the casing.

Associated with the parts hereinbeiore described and employee in the automatic operation of the same I provide a starting rheostat 83 for the circuit of the slicer bar motor 24. The positive terminal of this starting rheestat is connected by a lead 84 to the bindingl post terminal 53. In this circuit there is a battery or other source of energy 84. The binding post terminal 82 is connected by a lead 85 to one positive tern'iinal 86 ot one field winding of the slicer bar motor and also to another positive terminal 87 of a second iield winding of the slicer bar motor by a lead 88.

The negative terminal of the iirst field wind- 'ing is connected by a lead 89 to a switch clip i vversely Wound lields in the Slicer bar motor 211. lWhen the circuit is closed at the switch clip90 the current passes through one ot these tields and the motor is vturned in one direction Whereas When the circuit is closed at the switch clip 93 the current flows through the other lield and the motor is turned in the opposits direction, it being understood that these` inversely-Wound motor fields have separate and indepedent return leads 89 and 92, the former going to the switch clip 90 and the latter to the switch clip Associated with the lever 9-/1 is a segment racl; 97 adapted to mesh with a gear 98. l also employ a lever 99 pivotally mounted at 100 and at oneend provided With a segment raclr 101 also meshing With the gear 98, While the opposite end 102 of the lever 99 is pivotally connected by arod 103 to one end ot a rocker lever 104 pivotally mounted at 105. 'lhe operating mechanism also `includes a reciprocating har 106. ln a suitable position this bar is provided With a slot 107 through which extends a pin 108 carried by the opposite end ot the rocher lever 104. One end Y ot the reciprocating bar 106 is provided With a slot 109 and in a suitable position the slicer bar 12 is provided with a pin 110 Which engages in this slot 109. Adj acent the other end of the reciprocating bar 100` the same is provided with a projection 111, the oppositely disposed surfaces ot which are inclined planes. l also employ a rider member 112 titted with a roller or similar device 113 adapt ed to contact with the oppositely disposed inclined planes 'oli' the projection 111. rlhis rider 112 is mounted on a spindle 1141 operating in a casing or bearing 115 and normally maintained in position by a spring 116. lt will be understood, oi course, that suitable devices may be employed for regulating` the tension of the spring andthe resultant Apressure with which the roller bears against the inclined planes oi the proj ection'lll.

l :furthermore employ a rocker lever 11'? pivotally mounted at 118. This rocker lever 11i adapted to cooperate with a switch lever "119 pivotally mounted at 120 so as to act-nate the same, moving the switch lever into and out ot contact with a terminal 121. ated vvith the roclrer lever 117 there is a reciprocating rod 122. This may be mounted so as to slide in guides 123. At one end the rod 122 is pivotally connected to a lever 12A dissectl provided With an arm 126 normally bearing at its extremity against the surface ot' a dish 12T mounted on the shaft oi the discharge drum 13 and litted with a cani 128 cooperating with the end of the arm 125 to throw the lever 1241 which is normally maintained in that position in which the arm 120 contacts with the dish 127 by a spring 129 or otherwise. also associated With the rocker lever lliis a bell crank lever 130 pivotally mounted at 131. @ne arm 132 oi this bell crank ,lever is adapted to contact With a projection 133 on the side oit' the rocher lever 117 which furthermore is provided With acorrespondi but oppositely disposed projection 131i which is adapted to strike against the end of the rod 122. ylfhe other arm 185 oi the bell crank lever 130 provided With a projection 130, the surfaces oi which are oppositely disposed inclincd planes. The lever 130 is maintained in an initial position against a stop jl by means oi spring 13S or otherwise. ociated with the bell crank lever 130 is a lever 139 1which pivotally mounted at 1410. Agt one end die lever 139 carries a rollerv 1411 zulapliV to bear against the inclined planes oi the projection 19o. llt its opposite end the le'vcr 199 provided with a segmental racl; meshing with the teeth of the gear 98. also employ a starting bei; or rheostat 143 l'or the circuit ot the motor 25 for operating the discharge drum 18. rl`he positive terminal el' this rheostat 11i-il is connected by a lead 11i-.eito the positive terminal of the motor 25. this circuit there is a battery or other source ot power 111e. rlhe negative terminal oi the motor is connected by a lead 145v to the contact 121. ln this motor circuit there is a shunt circuit consisting ot a lead 146 en:- tending :trom a tapped point 1&7 in the lead 11i-l to the binding post terminal l2 oi the electroniagnet 341 and a lead 1453 extending 'from a tapped Contact point 1&9 in the lead 1&5 to the binding post terminal i3. rl`he lever 119 is connected to the negative terminal oi the starting rheostat 143 by a lead 150.

ln the use oi the apparatus hereinbe'fore described `the material to be treated is supplied to the retort through the iced drum 11 which may be operated in any desired munner so as to maintain toe retort in a condition in which it is substantially iilled with the material. rShe heat necessary :tor the extraction ot the volatiles from the material is preferx ably gene-rated by burning the charge at the lower portion thereof iiniuedi ely ahorn the grate bar. rllhis, as will be understood, creates a predetermined temperature in the retort and this temperature `reacts upon and determines the condition and position oi the diaphragm i3 which controls the closing` oi the circuit to the slicer bar motor. Coin sequently the control as shovvn and describer is a therniostatic one. Obviously, however,

vpivotally mounted at 125. This lever 124 is y this control might be efl'ected by means of a pressure within the retort or otherwise. its thermostatieally controlled the parts of the apparatus are in the positions as shown in full lines, Fig. 1, of the drawings when the Slicer bar is stationary. Now assuming that the temperature of the charge has risen to a predetermined point sufficiently high to expand the diaphragm 73, that is to cause the same to move outwardly, it will be apparent that this movement of the diaphragm swings the lever in a counter clockwise dir ction thereby raising the free end of the arm 09 which extends through the slot 03 in the bell crank lever (S0. In their normal positions the end of the finger 03 is in contact with the :n.jacent lower edge of the lever 56. The swinging of the lever 70 and the movenient of its arm 09, hereinbefore described, causes the bell crank lever 00 to swingin a clockwise direction wherein Vthe end of the finger 03 rides off' the notched limer edge of the lever therel y permitting the lever to drop and the switch arm to move likewise causing the contactl member 55 to enter the mercury bath and close the circuit to the motor for operatingr the slicer bar, as shown in dotted lines, Figure 1. This circuit is therefore closed from the positive terminal of the starting rheostat 83, through the lead wire 84 to the bindingl post 537 through the switch and the frame of the casing to the binding terminal 32, through the lead wire 85 to the terminal of one ofthe field windings of the motor 24, through this field winding to the other terminal thereof, through the lead wire S9 to the switch clip 90, through the switch lever 94, through the lead wire 9G to the negative terminal of the starting rheostat. This connection therefore operates the motor in the direction necessary to swing the rocker arm 14 in a clockwise direction so that through the link 10 the Slicer bar is m ved from left to right as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. After the slicer bar has m( ved a predetern'lined distance the pin 110 carried thereby abuts against the right hand end of the slot 109. rl`he continued movement of the slieer bar in this direction carries with it the reciprocating bar 106. This movement of the reciprocating bar causes the roller to ride on the left hand inclined plane on the projection 111 until the roller reach s the apex ot the planes, traveling of course under the action of the spring 110. When the roller reaches the apex of the planes or substantially so the left hand end of the slot 107 comes into Contact with the pivotal point or pin 108 whereby as soon as the roller crosses the ape); line of the inclined planes the .spring` automatically causes the same to descend the left hand plane inn'iarting a quick movement to the reciprocating bar which through the bar is also imparted to the rocker lever 104 and bv the same to the connectinerod 103 to swing the lever 99 in a clockwise direction. This movement of the lever 99 imparts a partial rotation to the gear 93 by means of the segmental rack 101 and the rotation of the gear causes the lever 94 to swing in a clockwise direction through the action of the segmental rack 97 causing the lever to break its connection with the contact and eventually to bear against the contact During this operation the rocker lever 117 and the switch lever 119 are in the positions7 as shown in Fig. 3. The operation of the gear 98 also causes a clockwise movement of the lever 139 by means of the segmental rack 142 and this movement of the lever 139 brings the roller 141 into contact with the adjacent inclined plane on the arm of the bell crank lever swinging the lever. in a counter clockwise direction against the action of the spring 133 and bringing the end of the arm 132 into contact with the projection 133 which swings the lever 117 causing the same to move the switch lever 119 into contact with the centact or terminal 121. This movement of these parts completes the circuit through the startingv rheostat 143 to the motor 25 by the lead 144, then by ay ofthe lead wire 145 from the negative terminal of the motor 25 to the terminal contact 121 through the switch lever 119 and through the lead wire 150 to the negative terminal of the starting rheostat 143. Simultaneously the shunt circuit to the electro-magnet 34 is also closed through the lead wire 144 from the positive terminal of the starting rhcostat 143 to the lead wire 140 to the binding post terminal 42, thence through the electro-magnet to the binding post terminal 43, through the lead wire 148 to the lead wire 145, through the terminal 121, the lever 119, and thence through the lead wire 150 to the negative terminal of the starting rheostat 143. The circuit to the1notor25 being thus closed the motor will operate the worm gear 30 on the shaft of the discharge drum 13 causing the latter to complete a revolution when the cam 128 will trip the lever 124 by acting against the arm 126 and in so doing, as will be understood, the bar 122 is moved from its initial position and in so doing it in turn swings the rocker lever 117 to its initial position thereby opening the circuit to the magnet 34 at the terminal contact 121 and also opening the circuit to the motor 25 at the same place. It will now be understood that when the circuit to the magnet 34 is closed the armature thereof is attracted to the core and this in turn swings the lever 37 so as to raise the lever 56 and lift the contact arm 54 so that the contact member 55 is removed from the mercury bath thereby furthermore breaking the slicer bar motor circuit at the switch in the casing. It will also be understood that as long as the circuit to the electromagnet is closed the switch lever' 56 will be raised to keep the circuit open at the switch.

CII

After the slicer bar has thus been actuated to remove a predetermined portion of the charge above the grate bar of the retort the temperature will be lowered materially, permitting the diaphragm 73 to contract and causing the lever 74 to swing in a clockwise direction which lowers the" "free end of the arm 69 by which increment the bell crank lever 60 is swung in a counter cloclrwise direction. The purpose ef employing the pivoted linger 63 is to permit thisturning movement of the bell crank lever to its initial position, it necessary, before the lever 56 is raised so as not to interfere in any manner with the operation of the switch. Ot course after the lever 60 has returned te its normally initial position the opening of the switch in the casing at the completion of the movement ot the slicer bar permite the pivoted finger 63 to assume its normal position and after the circuit to the electro-magnet 34 is broken the switch lever 56 will be permitted to rest upon the end of the finger 63 to maintain the switch arm in the position in which the switch is open.

Obviously the parts are now set for the op eration of the slicer bar `in the opposite direction and the operation of the motor to cause the discharge drum to turn another revolution. lt will be noted, however, that the parts are so timed that in the operation thereof' the switch lever 94 is notmoved sufficiently far to bear against the switch clip 93 until after the switch lever 119 has been brought into contact with the terminal contact 121 so that the switch in the casing is open before it is possible to close the circuit again at both the switch and through the switch lever 94 and its switch clip 93. rlhe parts being thus reset when the temperature again rises to a point where the diaphragm expands sufficiently to trip the bell crank lever the circuit will be closed again through the switch in the casing by the fallof the lever 56 which permits the conta-ct piece 55 to enter the mercury bath. `With the circuits thus closed the motor 24 is turned in the opposite direction, the circuits being the same as those hereinbefore described with the exceptions of l the current passing to the other field er set of fields of the motor 24 which, as will be understood, are wound in a direction oppesite to that of the first named lield or fields of the meter, and through the switch clip 93 and the switch lever 94 instead of through the switch clip 90 and the switch lever 94. yll`he movement of the slicer bar will then be in the opposite direction and the movement of the reciprocating bar- 106 will also be in the opposite direction and `this movement of the reciprocating lever in the opposite direction by the parts associated therewith will swing the lever 99 in the direction opposite to that in which it was originally moved reversing the direction in which the gear 98 was originally turned and theretere reversing the direction in which the parts operated by the gear were originally turned. It will be understood that the operation of the other parts including the closing of the circuits to the electro-magnet 34 and the motor 25 are in all respects similar to those hereinbefore described in connection with the first operation of these parts.

lt will furthermore be understood that the apparatus hereinbefore described is merely illustrative et a set of devices which may be employed in carrying out my invention for thn automatic operation of a slicer bar of a retort `for extracting the volatiles from coals, shales, lignites and the like, and for automatically and simultaneously operating a discharge drum for such an apparatus and that other similar and equivalent devices may be employed for this purpose withoutdeparting from the nature and spirit of my invention.

l claim as my invention:

l.' In an apparatus of the class described, a slicer bar, a motor for actuating the same, a discharge drum, a motor for operating the discharge drum, means actuated automatically for opening and closing a circuit to the metor for actuating the slicer bar, and means `for automatically opening and closing a circuit to the motor for actuating the discharge drum to operate the discharge drum each time the slicer bar is actuated.

2. ln an apparatus ci the class described, a slicer bar, a motor for actuatingthe slicer bar, a discharge drum, a motor for actuating the discharge drum, devices operated thermostatically for opening and closing a circuit to the slicer bar motor to move the slicer bar predetermined distances forward and baclfward, and devices actuated automatically for opening and closing a circuit to the discharge .drum motor each time the slicer bar is operated.

In an apparatus of the class described, a slicer bar, a motor for actuating the slicer bar, a discharge drum, a motor for actuating the discharge drum, a switch, means 'for au tomatically closing the said switch at intervals to close a circuit to the slicer bar motor for operating the slicer bar, and means operative automatically after the slicer bar has moved a predetermined distance for opening the said switch and simultaneously closing a circuit to the said discharge drum motor.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a slicer bar, a motor for actuating the slicer bar, a discharge drum, a motor for operating the discharge drum, va switch, automatic means for closing the said switch at intervals to close a circuit to the slicer bar motor for operating the same, means operative automatically after the said slicer bar has traveled a predetermined distance for opening the said switch and for simultaneously closing a circuit to the said discharge drum mcion tor and means operative after the discharge -drum is' turned a complete revolution for automatically opening the circuit to the discharge drum motor.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a Slicer bar,` a motor for actuatlng the slicer bar, a discharge drum, a motor for actuating the discharge drum, a switch, a thermostatic device for closing said switch to close a circult to the said slicer bar motor, means operative after the slicer bar has been moved a predetermined distance for automatically opening the circuit at the said switch and also opening and closing the motor circuit at other pointsA whereby when the switch is closed a secondv time the motor is driven in the oppositedirection to return the slicer bar to its initial position, means' automatically oper* ated when the slicer bar has been moved a predetermined distance for closingr a circuit .tothe discharge-drum'motor, andmeans operative when thedischarge drum has turned acomplete revolution for automatically opening the circuit to the said discharge drum motor.

' 6. In an apparatus of the class described, a slicerbanzdevices for intermittently operating-thev slicer bar, a discharge drum, dc-

"vices for turning therdischarge drum, and so means for automatically actuating the devices Yfor turning the `discharge drum after each operation of theV Slicer bar.

fSignedlby me this 6th day of August, 1924.

J OSIAH BRADLEY. 

